News

Actions

3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked

3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked
3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked
3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked
3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked
3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked
3 pairs of No. Colo. shootings now linked
Posted at 1:04 PM, Apr 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-26 21:35:14-04

Authorities are now saying three pairs of the shootings in Northern Colorado last year are linked.

There were several shootings that targeted drivers, a cyclist, a pedestrian and even a medical center and a school. Two people were killed, one woman was seriously injured.

"I can say with a high degree of confidence that these were intentional acts and not accidental," Larimer County Sheriff's Office Captain Bob Coleman said during an update Tuesday from the Northern Colorado Shooting Task Force.

The linked cases are:

  • Shootings No. 1 and No. 2. In shooting No. 1, Cori Romero, a Milliken woman, was shot in the neck while she was driving on Interstate 25, near Harmony Road, on the night of April 22. She survived. In shooting No. 2, John Jacoby, 48, was shot and killed on the morning of May 18 while riding his bike north of Windsor, on County Road 15, just south of County Road 72.
  • Shootings No. 3 and No. 4, which both happened on June 3. Shooting No. 3 involved a motorcycle rider who was shot at approximately 10:30 p.m., while riding near the intersection of Denver Drive and East 18th Street in Loveland. The rider was not injured. Fifteen minutes later, William Connole was shot and killed while standing at the intersection of East First Street and North St. Louis Avenue in Loveland.
  • Shootings No. 5 and 6 happened on Sunday, September 13 when two buildings were hit by gunfire in Fort Collins. In shooting No. 5, the Banner Fort Collins Medical Center on Lady Moon Drive reported that its building was struck by gunfire. There were people inside, but no one was hurt. Shooting No. 6 happened at Cottonwood Plains Elementary School on Turman Drive. No one was at the school at the time and no one was hurt.

See related photos in media gallery above

Windsor Police Chief John Michaels had previously said the first two shootings (Romero and Jacoby) were linked. Sources last year confirmed to Denver7 that there is a ballistics link between the two shootings.

Larimer County Sheriff's Office spokesman David Moore previously said that authorities believed the two shootings on June 3 were related to each other. That information was confirmed Tuesday.

Tuesday, authorities said while each pair of shootings was connected by forensic evidence, the pairs of shootings are not connected to each other.

Denver7 Reporter Jennifer Kovaleski spoke to victim Cori Romero Tuesday, after authorities announced the updates in the investigations.

"It is unsettling just knowing that this person could be walking around - that I could have possibly come in contact with this person that kind of makes me feel a little unnerved," Romero said.

"I think in the back of my mind there is that, that little feeling of just discomfort - especially driving late at night or by myself - but for the most part I've just put it in the back of my mind," said Romero. "I try not to even think about it because I don't want to dwell on it for the rest of my life."

"Do you believe they'll ever find the person responsible?" Kovaleski asked Romero.

“After a year, I hope that they do, I'm not just not sure that they will just because of the nature of how it happened, nobody was around, there's not cameras on the lights where we were at so there's no way to know where this person escaped to," Romero answered. “It all happened so fast that I wasn't able to even get a license plate or even an accurate color of the vehicle."

"I'm 100 percent relieved to know that it's something that they're wanting to get figured out and that they're working on doing," Romero added. “Knowing that they're still looking and that they're still going back and looking at evidence to try a and figure it out... I can't explain how much of a relief it is to know that they didn't just forget about us."

Press conference video

Last year, the task force said it was looking for an orange pick-up truck in connection with the June 3 shootings. Specifically, a faded-orange 1970s model, full-size, single cab Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck. It has a full-size bed and might possibly be a 1973-1979 model GM pickup based on the round headlight shape.

Authorities are still looking for that vehicle. Tuesday, officials said they've expanded the model years to 1973 to 1987, after a review of intelligence in the case and witness interviews. They also released video of that suspect vehicle for the first time. When questioned about the video, authorities said they've had it for months, but it's just been enhanced.

Investigators said they are also looking for a suspect vehicle in shootings no. 5 and no. 6 -- a black over red Mini Cooper, 2002-2007.

Task force investigation statistics

Task Force officials said their funding has been extended for another six months and they will continue to investigate as long as tips are coming in and there are leads to follow.

The Task Force has received more than 5,100 tips. They've conducted more than 1,000 interviews to date, according to Moore.

Moore said 12 persons of interest have been cleared in the investigation.

Shattered windows

There were also several incidents of vehicle windows shattering on I-25 in Northern Colorado in 2015.

"None of the reports of shattered, or broken windows, have been linked to shootings under investigation by the Task Force," Moore said.

Reward

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's $50,000 reward is still available. It is for information leading to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the four original shootings.

Tip line

If you have information regarding the shootings, call the Tip Line at 970-498-5595 or email  taskforce@larimer.org.

---------

Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.

Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.